Electrical switch with lowered panel mounting means

ABSTRACT

This is a door switch housing in which the body of the housing has either louvers or other movable parts which react under tension in an aperture to allow lateral movement of the housing while providing tight interference fit.

United States Patent Edward J Luce Wayland:

Frederick J Weremey, Milton, Mass. 784,772

Dec. 18, 1968 Feb. 2, 1971 United-Carr Incorporated Boston, Mass.

a corporation of Delaware Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee ELECTRICAL SWITCH WITH LOWERED PANEL MOUNTING MEANS 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 200/168, 248/27: 220/37: 339/128; 174/153 Int. Cl Gl2b 9 10, H02b1/04, HOlh 9/08 Field of Search 200/ 1 5 9,

168C,168B;248/56;220/24.2,3.7;339/126, 128, 131: 174/1536, 153 (Cursory): 240/816; 248/27 Primary Examiner-Robert K. Schaefer Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Vanderhye Attorneys-Philip E. Parker, Gordon Needleman, James R.

OConnor, John Todd and Hall and Houghton ABSTRACT: This is a door switch housing in which the body of the housing has either louvers or other movable parts which react under tension in an aperture to allow lateral movement of the housing while providing tight interference fit.

PATENIED FEB 2l97l I sum 1 or 2' FIG.

FIG. 2

FIG. 4

' INVENTORS EDWARD J. LUCE BY FREDERICK J. WEREMEY ATTO RNEY- PATENTEI] FEB 2m?! 3.560.690

SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG.6

INVENTOR EDWARD J. LUCE BY FREDERICK J. WEREMEY ATTORNEY ELECTRICAL SWITCH WITH LOWERED PANEL MOUNTING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is well known in the appliance and automobile industries, switches which are operated by doors are frequently plagued by maladjustments because of discrepancies in the tolerances between the door and the frame on which the switch is mounted. A number of switches are available in the prior art which allow some adjustment when the door is closed. Most frequently, these switches have a plunger which is movable within an adapter in the switch body having means of holding the plunger in place after the adjustment has been made. Extra long switches have been utilized to solve the problem, but this type of switch is quite expensive and is more likely to be damaged on adjustment than the switch to be disclosed hereinafter. Furthermore, there is usually a limit to the amount of space that a door switch can occupy, which further reduces the possibility of utilizing a long switch.

In some cases, spring elements have been mounted within the switch housing projecting beyond the area of the housing, engageable with the edge of the application hole and adapted to flex inwardly and assure a tight fit. The prior art also discloses a panel light which has flexible wraparound fins as interference means projecting from a tubular plastic carrier. There is also prior art which utilizes rather short fins engageable on the opposite side of an apertured panel and cooperatively hold the switch with a rib which is parallel to the engagement surface of the fins and spaced therefrom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed at an adjustable switch housing for use as a door switch. The housing has a series of flexible louvers which extend for the major portion of the length of the housing on planes which are parallel to the axis of the housing. The diameterdefined by the edges of the louvers is greater than the diameter of the application hole with which the housing is to be engaged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a switch showing the novel housing;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the switch shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the switch shown in FIG. 1 with the plunger depressed;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the plunger of the switch shown in FIG. 1;'and

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of a variation of the switch shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT This invention comprises a switch housing 10 generally tu bular in construction and having a series of axial louvers 12 extending from the body of the switch housing 10, tapering as a leadin toward the forward portion thereof and toward the rear portion, if desired. The angle of a louver 12 to the housing 10 may be varied to increase or decrease the interference with the edge of an application hole. The housing 10 may contain switch elements such as a plunger 14 having a head portion 16, a median portion 18 and a shank portion 20 which extends from the median portion 18 and which forms a shoulder therewith. The shank portion 20 is circumscribed by a helical compression spring 22. This assembly is placed within the housing 10 so that the spring 22 is trapped between the slope formed at the forward end of the housing 10 and the shoulder provided by the median portion 18 and the shank portion 20. The shank portion 20 is then passed through an aperture formed in the forward end of the housing I0 and is there fixedly engaged with a contact element 24 which butts against the external surface of the housing 10 and makes electrical contact therewith. By depressing the plunger 14. the contact 24 is moved away from the housin It) opening the circuit.

The assembly of the housing 1 with an apertured support.

such as the door jamb of a motor vehicle or household appliance is extremely easy to accomplish. The housing I0 is manually pushed part way into the aperture and the door stile is then slammed against the plunger 14 of the switch driving the housing 10 into the aperture while allowing it to protrude the proper distance beyond the support for efficient operation. The circles defined by the highest portion of the length of the edges of the louvers 12 are slightly greater than the diameter of the aperture thereby assuring a firm interference fit. The louvers 12 will flex inwardly as the housing is driven in providing proper interference even though there may be variations along the edge of the aperture.

A variation of the housing disclosed in FIGS. I through 4 is shown in FIG. 6. The housing variation 10a comprises a tubular body portion open at both ends and tapering from the first opening 26 at one end to a smaller diameter second opening 28 at the other end. A longitudinal slot 30 is formed extending from the first opening 26 to the second opening 28. When the housing 10a is engaged in an aperture; such as in an automobile door for example having a diameter less than the upper diameter of the housing 10a, the two edges of the longitudinal slot 30 are compressed toward each other while flexing the arc of the body portion on the housing 10a thereby assuring a firm interference fit when the door is slammed against a plunger of a switch mounted in the housing 10a.

We claim:

I. An electrical switch comprising a plunger movably associated within a tubular housing which is open at both ends, the plunger comprising a head portion, a leg extending from the head portion and having a diameter less than the head portion, the head extending beyond the housing on one side and the leg extending beyond the housing on the opposite side, a spring associated with the head portion and with a surface of the housing adjacent the end opposite the head portion and the leg portion attached to a contact element which is engaged with the housing, the housing having several flexible louvers extending outwardly therefrom along the length thereof and having first side edges the major portion of which lie on a plane parallel with the axis of the housing each of said louvers having both ends and the second side edge fixed in position and having the first side edge free.

2. An electric switch as set forth in claim 2 wherein the housing is generally bullet shaped providing a tapered portion and the spring engages one surface of the tapered portion and the contact element engages the opposite surface of the tapered portion.

3. An electrical switch as set forth in claim I wherein the leg has a median portion extending from the head portion and having a diameter less than the head portion, a shank portion integral with the median portion and of less diameter than the median portion, the shank portion being the part of the leg extending beyond the housing on one side and the spring circumscribing the median portion. 

1. An electrical switch comprising a plunger movably associated within a tubular housing which is open at both ends, the plunger comprising a head portion, a leg extending from the head portion and having a diameter less than the head portion, the head extending beyond the housing on one side and the leg extending beyond the housing on the opposite side, a spring associated with the head portion and with a surface of the housing adjacent the end opposite the head portion and the leg portion attached to a contact element which is engaged with the housing, the housing having several flexible louvers extending outwardly therefrom along the length thereof and having first side edges the major portion of which lie on a plane parallel with the axis of the housing each of said louvers having both ends and the second side edge fixed in position and having the first side edge free.
 2. An electric switch as set forth in claim 2 wherein the housing is generally bullet shaped providing a tapered portion and the spring engages one surface of the tapered portion and the contact element engages the opposite surface of the tapered portion.
 3. An electrical switch as set forth in claim 1 wherein the leg has a median portion extending from the head portion and having a diameter less than the head portion, a shank portion integral with the median portion and of less diameter than the median portion, the shank portion being the part of the leg extending beyoNd the housing on one side and the spring circumscribing the median portion. 